The elusive Saraswati Samman

The Saraswati Samman was instituted in 1990 by the KK Birla Foundation for literary works published in the previous ten years, selected by a panel that includes scholars and former award winners. The award has so far eluded the Telugu litterateurs

The Saraswati Samman is an annual award for outstanding prose or poetry literary works in any Indian language listed in Schedule VIII of the Constitution of India. The award consists of Rs 10 lakh, a citation and a plaque. In the last two decades, the awardees have represented most of the Indian languages, and at times more than once (in case of Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Oriya, Punjabi, Tamil, Malayalam) and a scrutiny of the texts merited the prize reveal that they belong to the modern genre of poetry and fiction. The selection committee selects the candidates from literary works published in the previous ten years, by a panel that includes scholars and former award winners. And no one knows the reason why no Telugu writer has received the award till date.

The composition of committee has a special characteristic. For a layman’s understanding, it would be suffice to know that there is a separate Bhasha Samithi for 22 languages, whose work goes to the next tier of Kshetra Samithis, and finally the Chayan Parishad, the apex body makes the decision.

These Kshetra Samithis are divided as two for the East ( East-I and East-II) North, West and South. East-I represents Assamese, Bengali, Manipuri, Maithili and Oriya, East-II for Bodo, Nepali, and Santhali, North for Hindi, Dongri, Kashmiri,Punjabi and Urdu, West for Gujarathi, Konkani, Marthi and Sindhi and finally, the South for Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu. In these committees as per alphabetical order (in the region), Telugu is shown in the last. But the fact is Telugu is a second language after Hindi, and spoken by largest population in southern peninsula, than rest of the three languages.

Leaving this matter aside, there is no information on whom the Saraswati Samman Committee or KK Birla Foundation has chosen year after year to be the Bhasha samithi members from Telugu. Whereas in the last two decades of prize functioning (and eligibility of texts or works goes to another decade back i.e. up to a total of 30 years), it is rather surprising and saddening that no Telugu writer or his work was found worthy of the Saraswati Samman and the Telugu people have no clue about what work the Telugu Bhasha Samithis have done in the two decades plus time, which invited only a rejection for 23 years.

This makes two things clear. One, the Bhasha Samithis have made poor nominations, and another, that We Telugus, as a literate and cultured community, do not know how to conduct ourselves among the cultural fraternity of national scope. While rest of the language or Bhasha samithis are nominating modern literature, and notching the Samman year after year, it would now be an urgent necessity to at least know that who were those three members of Bhasha samithi representing Telugu, ( though changing annually by the senior member going out, and a new member coming in his place) and indeed what works they had nominated.

This question becomes all the more serious because, during the last 30 years, Telugu Literature has produced works of national and international standards and complete sidelining of a major language and its works for a continuous row of 20 years is not a small matter, unless some where, someone has thoroughly botched it up.

Only one name is cropping up as some time member of Telugu Bhasha Samithi, that is of Kovela Suprasannacharya of Warangal.

A cursory glance about the award recipients’ work shows that poetry, novels, plays and autobiographies have been considered for the award. While there is no grudge against the winners from other Indian languages, the question remains why so far not a single Telugu writer has been found worthy of the award. Is it the failure of the successive Bhasha Samithis, for their improper projection of a work?

From the nonagenarian writer Avantsa Soma Sundar, who recently brought out the second part of his autobiography and other publications, there are others like K Siva Reddy, Kalyana Rao, Dr Addepalli Ramamohana Rao, Dr N Gopi, Dr K Enoch, Dr Kethu Viswanatha Reddy, Peddibhotla Subbaramayya and a score of writers active every year. Ignoring thus, a sizeable chunk of Indian Expression, and awarding the prize for the same language more than once, only indicates that there are serious short comings on part of the Bhasha Samithi, and by this time if they have not already questioned themselves, why, Telugu, the number two language of India, and it’s literature has not been honoured even once, by the Saraswati Samman, it is time now they apply their mind and rethink.

To sum up with a suggestion to those members of the Bhasha Samithi whoever they are, you cannot have a better candidate then the 90-year-old Avantsa Soma Sundar, an author of more than 100 books, whose career took off with his protest poetry against the despotic Nizam of Telangana in 1948, and if we Telugus can make the Bhasha Samithi see the fact, and put the matter up to their screening committees (Kshetra Parishad), backing with the fact that by honouring Somasundar with Saraswati Samman, the awarding committee would be minimising the discrimination already caused. And it is also up to the organisers of the Saraswati Samman to publicly announce the members of the Bhasha Samithi, in their website, and place the application form (which is now not available and directs to another link which never gets connected) so that their work is open for observation and critical scrutiny by the stake holders of the respective literary community.